Driving Review: Volkswagen Golf SV

The Golf what?

Juliet |
16 Jul 2015

The Golf what?

The Golf SV, which stands for Golf Sports Van…weird right? Is it an MPV? Is it a hatchback? Is it a station wagon? It’s hard to say really, I would call it a mini MPV or even a bloated hatchback. Basically, it is the Golf designed to attract families.

What does it look like?

At first glance, the Golf SV is not exactly pretty nor sexy in any way. You can see the good ol’ Golf in there somewhere, but it just doesn’t have the same sleek lines you have come to know and love from a Golf. But, this car is for the practically minded, so step inside and you will forget those outside looks…which after a week of driving it, you get used to.

Step inside and you are met with a restyled dashboard, but the same Golf quality you have come to expect from Volkswagen. It’s spacious inside, noticeably so. There is plenty of head and legroom. You can tell it is geared for families. It has reclining rear seats that are able to slide forward or backwards up to 180mm and can fold flat to create more storage space. Speaking of which, the Golf SV has a luggage capacity of 500 litres (the regular Golf has 380-litres), but if you fold the seats flat (there is also the 40:20:40 split) you get a massive 1520-litres.

How does it drive?

Volkswagen offers a 1,2-litre petrol engine that produces 81 kW and 175 N.m of torque. It comes standard with a six-speed manual gearbox and has a claimed fuel consumption of 5,1 l/100 km. If you want something a little more powerful you can opt for the 1,4-litre turbo petrol which gives you a little more at 92 kW and 200 N.m of torque. You can choose between the manual or a seven-speed DSG (which is Volkswagen’s automatic transmission). The fuel consumption is still low at 5,4 l/100 km (manual) and even lower at 5,2 l/100 km (DSG).

The last on offer is a 2,0-litre turbodiesel which gives you 81 kW and 250 N.m or torque and gives you the lowest fuel consumption of 4,6 l/100 km.

As can be expected from a Golf, the ride is comfortable and the SV handles the road’s imperfections with ease. The steering is direct and there is more than enough power to help you overtake on an incline. One needs to bear in mind that this is an MPV (well sort of) and what you want from a people carrier is comfort, easy driving and sufficient power…the Golf SV has all of this and being a Golf, it feels solid…another requirement for any car carrying kids.

What do you get?

Volkswagen isn’t known for its list of standard features, in fact, you will often find yourself spending a fair penny trying to spec your car to the level of many of its competitors. However, the SV comes well equipped, especially in the safety department. These include ABS with EBD and Brake Assist, Multi collision brake, tyre pressure monitoring system and ISOFIX mounts on the rear seats for the kids, seven airbags, and electronic stability control.

You can opt for things such as Light Assist which helps illuminate the road when cornering. This will cost you R1 100 and Park Distance Control which comes in at R4 500.

How much do you pay?

The prices include a 3-year/120 000 km warranty, 5-year/90 000km service plan as well as a 12-year anti-corrosion warranty.